Prison for two senior officials in RM47 mln CBT

KUALA LUMPUR: Two former Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) senior officers were found guilty by the Sessions Court yesterday of two charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and abetment in CBT involving Felda funds amounting to more than RM47 million, four years ago.

Judge Allaudeen Ismail meted out five years’ jail to former Strategic Resources deputy director-general Muhammad Sufi Mahbub, 54, and two years’ jail to former director-general Datuk Faizoull Ahmad, 58, after the defence failed to cast reasonable doubt on the prosecution’s case.

However, the court allowed a stay of the duo’s sentences pending appeal, and maintained the RM1 million bail imposed on each of them.

Muhammad Sufi who was represented by counsel Datuk Zaidi Ibrahim was accused on two charges of approving two payments of RM25,999,000 and RM21,626,500 totaling RM47,625, 500 without the approval of the Board of Directors or Felda Tender Committee.

The judge sentenced him to five years jail on each charge, to run concurrently.

Faizoull who was represented by counsel Azad Bashir was accused of two charges of abetting Muhammad Sufi and received two years jail on each charge, to run concurrently.

They committed the offences at Bangunan Wisma Felda in Jalan Perumahan Gurney here, between Jan 13 and July 23, 2014.

The prosecution represented by deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz and Farah Yasmin Salleh called 49 witnesses, while the defence, six, during the trial which commenced on June 13, 2017.

Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz and Farah Yasmin Salleh represented the prosecution. - Bernama